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    Baan Mae

    4.6 (80 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Baan Mae Photos

    BAAN MAE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Baan Mae

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    Interior
    Rohan N.

    This was one of the best Southeast Asian dining experiences I've had in DC. I have had this restaurant on my list for a while while so was excited to walk in at 6 PM on Saturday and get lucky with a table! The decor is cheerful and brightly colored while the restaurant hums with noise. The space is dense but laid out well and conducive to enjoyment for parties of small to medium size. We were in a bit of a hurry but luckily they accommodated us immediately despite us walking in right before peak hours. We ordered the Pad See Eaw with Tofu and the Gaeng Dang Curry with eggplant, both of which were stellar and came to the table within 10 minutes of us ordering. The noodles were slightly overcooked, making them very bouncy, which we actually enjoyed a great deal. There were a lot of vegetables and tofu pieces in the dishes as well and the sauce was well balanced without being overly salty. The curry was some of the best curry I've had in DC. Deeply flavored, coconuty, and a hint of spicy without being too thin as many curries in DC tend to be. The chicken leg pieces (deboned!) were super tender as well. Usually, restaurants tend towards using shredded chicken but this was something special. The total bill for the two dishes was $48, which amounted to about $30 per person with tip, and felt like a steal given the quality of food we ate. Very excited to be back here soon.

    KIMIN PAA (left) + GAENG PHED (right)
    Julie K.

    Great food and super fast service. Our food started coming out within like ten minutes of ordering which I loved. I also genuinely think Baan Mae's appetizers are top tier. Based on what I tried and what my friends ordered, you really can't go wrong. I had the sra koo and the hua pii and wow. Hua Pii 5/5 This lowkey changed my life. I usually do not like salads at all but this one was sweet and nutty in the best way. So fresh, so crunchy, and actually so good. I would go back just for this alone. Sa koo 4.8/5 Really interesting and so well done. The tapioca wrapper had that nice chewy texture and the filling had a pop of nuttiness and flavor. Wrapping it in lettuce made it feel super fresh and balanced. You can tell the food is made with care. Kimin paa (branzino) 4.8/5 Gaeng Phed (crab curry) 4/5 Both were solid and well executed. The crab curry was good but the crab flavor got a little intense toward the end for me. Crab is naturally pretty strong so it started to feel a bit heavy and slightly nauseating after a while, but still enjoyable overall. The outdoor seating is really cute with colorful chairs and decor. Just a heads up that at night or on weekends the bars next door can get pretty loud since their patios overlook the outdoor seating area. Indoor seating seemed a bit tight since the restaurant itself is pretty small. Overall I would definitely come again!!

    Jaew Bong Wings, Mae's Meatballs
    Srinanda G.

    This place has the best appetizers ever!!! Absolutely get the jaew bong wings and Mae's meatballs, because it took us seconds to demolish the apps and have the plate completely clean. The entrees were okay, weren't really blown away by the flavor profile. Honestly, the apps left such a high mark that the entrees felt lacking. The portions were fairly large. We got two entrees to split between three people, and we struggled to finish everything. We just walked in and were able to secure a table. Service was also pretty quick. They also gave us disposable hand wipes, which was a nice touch.

    The Antidote
    Shawn W.

    Lately we have been knocking it out with our selections and having a great experience at local places. These experiences kept going with our recent selection of Baan Mae. This was a new experience and I can say that I have never had Lao food. I enjoy learning something new and you will here. I am upset that I cannot remember the bartender's name but I thank him for his service and his creativity. He is the brains of all the drinks (I had the Clear as Cha and The Antidote) on the menu. He gave a great history of the establishment and told us of Lao food. He even let us know that the chef and entrepreneur of Baan Mae was in the back making sure the food was cooked and came out the way that best represented Laotian food. We got lucky in that we did not have reservations but were able to sit at the bar. Personally, this turned out better because we had front row seats to the mixologist making it happen with his concoctions. To fully enjoy the experience when you eat at this place you need to get over any hangups of eating with your hands in public. So, for those of you using a knife and fork to eat your chicken wings in public when you know how you get down at home. Let those silly inhibitions go and enjoy the experience the way it should be. Do not worry, they provide plenty of wet naps for you. The appetizers we went with were the Pun Khao Poon (PKP) with Pork Belly and Mae's Meatballs. The meatballs were listed as spicy but trust me you will have nothing to worry about. I like a bit of a kick and the flavor was there all the way but wish it had a tad more spice to it. Still, I would order these again in a heartbeat. The PKP is where you should really be using your hands to build a wrap with the lettuce, pork belly and other accoutrements that come with this dish. This could be a meal for some. For my entrée I went with the Filao-O-Fish sliders with the Jaew Bong Chili Jam. Crispy and sweet with a bit of heat. There is another small menu where this was located so make sure you look at all the menus to not miss any options. A solid five stars!!

    Black sesame Coconut Sticky Rice
    Austin G.

    Baan Mae checks every restaurant box. Good food? Check. Quality cocktails? Yep. Excellent service? Absolutely. A beautiful space? Obviously. A good story? Heck yes! The chef behind this Laotian spot in Shaw learned how to cook at a refugee camp in Thailand. As you scan the menu, you'll see the use of the word "Mom." The chef is mom and she's worth having in your family. For food, the dishes are unique, but pull from familiar flavors like curries and jasmine rice. An example of this is the red curry. Get it with beef brisket, which pairs well with the lychee and eggplant in the dish. It's excellent! To start, the salmon skewers are simple, but perfectly done and dipped in chimichurri sauce. For dessert, get the white gelato on black sesame sticky rice. So good! To drink, their cocktails are unique and come bitter, sour, or a tad sweet depending on how you like it. Service is excellent. The space is small and it can get crowded, but the staff still create a warm atmosphere. It's a beautiful space!

    Baan Mae was amazing, and it's right up there with Baan Siam and Thip Khao for Thai/Laotian food in the district. I didn't write down everything we had, but the sausage sandwich was delicious and the laab was solid. The sakoo were not great compared to Baan Siam's but still great to see them on a menu. The lychee curry was also excellent. The biggest standout was the Tom Yum martini--one of the best cocktails I've ever had with strong savory notes that were not too overpowering.

    Dessert: Coconut Sticky Rice with Gelato
    Kelci M.

    Small yet charming restaurant. I enjoyed a majority of the appetizers we had but the entrees were a miss. Just a heads up, most tables only accommodate 2 people! APPS: - Mae's Meatballs: 10/10 I loved these but they taste no different than your standard baby shower meatballs - Chicken Wings: 10/10 super crispy and are drenched in Jaew Bong sauce - Sakoo: 9/10 this was my first time trying this dish and I enjoyed it. The inside is filled with peanuts, lettuce & radish creating a unique crunch inside the outer gooey sticky rice shell - Naem Khao: 7/10 It's mostly chopped lettuce but tasty. - Fish Fillet: 3/10 I was so excited to try this but I think upon first bite the fillet was soggy. I didn't finish it. ENTREES: Pad See Eaw: 3/10 horrible! Probably the worst Pad See Ew I've ever had. It was really sweet and the noodles were overcooked Red Curry: 6/10. Very tomato-y and the braised beef was cubed. I would've like it better if the beef was shredded.

    Evie S.

    I was excited to try Baan Mae because I always like to try new-to-me Laotian dishes and I love their sister restaurant: Thip Khao. I went on a Sunday when they had their 555 Noodle House special menu and ordered the Lao Sakoo: Tapioca pearl dumplings that are stuffed with preserved radish, peanut, cilantro topped with chili and served with baby green lettuce. I really liked these. I have had them once before at a Laotian restaurant in San Diego but liked the texture and flavor profile better here.They were softer here and slightly warm and maybe fresher seeming. The peanut filling inside was a little sweet and added interest to the dish. I really liked the chile on top which really balanced it together with crispy top of onions/ garlic. These were delicious and a 5 star dish for me. I also ordered a main dish: Khao piak sen vegan: Lao house-made tapioca & rice noodle soup, tofu, scallion. cilantro, fried onion and garlic . The house made noodles were very good, slippery and soft. The soup itself was a bit basic and very salty. The tofu was not fried. Asking for and adding chili crisp made the soup better. I did also find a piece of meat in my soup, wasn't a huge issue for me but isn't great for a dish that is labeled vegan and for a restaurant that markets itself as vegan friendly. The house made noodles in the soup were definitely different and fun to try though and the Lao Sakoo was very good. The restaurant's website had incorrect info and it was hard to reach anyone to ask questions prior to making a reservation/ visiting. The service was not great at the restaurant either which affected my rating. My general rating system: 1 star: I would stay away 2 stars: Has some good things about it but I generally don't recommend. 3 stars: Pretty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but a decent place 4 stars: Great place. I would go back. 5 stars: I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and making plans to try it out! An Evie favorite!

    Annie S.

    Delicious and love the ambiance here! If you've been to Padaek, think this is familiar but yet done with a twist. We very much enjoyed all of our meal and can't wait to go back. Service and drinks are great too!

    Hua poi - PHENOMENAL
    Priya B.

    Unassuming neighborhood Laotian spot with flavors that punch well above their weight, Baan Mae truly exceeded my expectations. I came recently in need of a special, flavorful meal for a friend reunion after a long time and Baan Mae's brand of homey, coziness, friendly service, and outstanding, unique food and drinks really met our needs and then some. We made a reservation a week ahead of time and got seated promptly upon arrival in an intimate window table at the front of the restaurant. It was nice and private without feeling cramped, and set the tone for the evening. We both were in the mood for a celebratory drinks, and each opted for a cocktail: her, the Hua La Pha, a refreshing Thai take on a basil gimlet and me the Mekong Bitter, a Negroni riff with a touch of tamarind. Both were shockingly good and paired well with the food! For food, we opted to share everything, which is really the move here as dishes are meant to be shared and you get to try more things. To start: the Hua PII salad, a perfect blend of refreshing, lightly acidic, herbaceous, and crunchy. The shaved egg yolk and mix of textures and flavors made it our favorite dish of the night! Next, we shared the salmon skewers, which paired three kabob sticks of perfectly cooked, tender salmon belly with an herby, garlicky dipping marinade. For our main we shared the gaeng dang crab curry with butterfly pea flower jasmine rice. The blue rice was really fun to look at but didn't taste any different than regular rice, but the curry was fantastic: rich, comforting, heavy on the crab, and not spicy. We were quite full but managed to sneak in the coconut sticky rice with Thai green tea gelato, which was an exceptional and not overly heavy way to end the meal. It's rare that I go out and every single a dish was a must order, but that was true here. My friend raved at work the next few days about how truly unreal this food was, and I'm already scheming to figure out how to fit in another visit on my next trip to DC. Absolutely charming spot with reasonably priced food that is unreal delicious, has friendly service and great drinks! Will happily come here again and again!

    Ariana C.

    Baan Mae - what a cute, tasty place for Laotian cuisine in the heart of Shaw! Upon entry, the twinkling lights and mahogany decor make for the perfectly warm dining experience, and the wait staff is so lovely and diligent. I ordered the peanut dumplings and the ribs, which were INCREDIBLE. A star off because my family weren't the biggest fans of their meals, and the tightness of the space can be a bit difficult to navigate. But I definitely enjoyed myself, and im eager to be back!

    tofu
    Emily G.

    I made a reservation for 6 ppl here and brought my teammates here for dinner. It's quite a cozy spot - nearly elbow to elbow with the next table, so I recommend for max party of 4. Sharing plates/family style is the way to go here. We tried a ton of dishes. We had a vegan in the mix, so the dishes may not have had as /much/ flavor as theys could have been, but safe to say they had TONS of options for Vegetarian/Vegan diets and even gluten-free diets. While I love Thip Khao and Padaek more, this was a solid spot where everything we tried was great. The cocktails are quite strong (and use more of the brown liquors, so go figure), but they're good and unique!

    Sue J.

    Food was flavorful and delicious, the place is a little small so the wait might be long, waiter was a little too snappy, but overall great restaurant

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    Baan Mae was OK, but inconsistent. The Red Curry was a B+ and the Pad See Eaw was a C-, definitely better places for Laos in the area

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    Baan Mae - laotian - Updated May 2026

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